Redcoats and rebels re-enact battles at Old Sturbridge Village

STURBRIDGE — Mike Malloy of Westport took up arms against America during the weekend, and he's not ashamed of his actions.

In fact, he's happy to share the story of how he switched sides more than a decade ago from the Continental Army of his homeland to the invading British redcoats.

"I wanted to try this side," Mr. Malloy said with a shrug Saturday afternoon. "I find the camaraderie is better. The British units seem to hang together more."

The soon-to-be-retired public transportation worker is one of nearly 1,000 Revolutionary War re-enactors who were camped at Old Sturbridge Village over the weekend.

As something between living museum exhibits and zoo animals, the re-enactors cooked meals over campfires, knitted socks, played fiddle and smoked pipes amid rows of white canvas tents Saturday as modern families strolled by snapping away furiously with anachronistic smart phone cameras.

In its 11th year, the growing Redcoats & Rebels event drew groups of re-enactors from up and down the East Coast and as far away as Ontario, Canada, said Jim O'Brien, Old Sturbridge Village's coordinator of special programs.

"Even after the visitors are gone, I'll be walking around here at night, and some of them are still in character. They'll be in bed clothes of the 18th century," Mr. O'Brien said. "They're really into it."

Insurance agent and rookie re-enactor Dan Tyler of Shelton, Conn., said he enjoys portraying a soldier of the Continental Army's 5th Regiment, but he's not so into it that he stays in character all night.

"My wife thinks it's a little bit nuts," he acknowledged.

Before he could elaborate on her opinion, Mr. Tyler was summoned to do his mock duty.

A commanding voice nearby called out for the 5th Regiment to form up and prepare for battle.

"I gotta go," he said.

Before long, the village's grassy pastures filled up with scores of armed men in red and blue wool coats. They formed into opposing ranks and began blasting away at each other with muskets and cannons.

"Everybody likes the show, the noise," Mr. Malloy said later.

There was plenty of deafening cannon booms and crackling musket fire to keep the crowd happy, and terrify a few skittish children. The mock battle raged for roughly a half an hour beneath an increasingly thick cloud of white gun smoke.

In the end, the British won.

But don't kneel down to the king just yet. The rebellious Colonists won Sunday's battle.

Mr. Malloy fired his .75-caliber musket about two dozen times on Saturday afternoon. He figures he expended about a half a pound of black powder in the re-enacted battle.

Powder ain't cheap these days at about $15 a pound, he said, and the money comes out his own waistcoat pocket rather than from the crown's royal coffers.

But it's worth it to him.

Mr. Malloy explains the appeal of re-enacting this way: "You eat, you drink and you blow things up."

History buff Dan Smith of Leominster heard about Redcoats & Rebels last year a few days after it was over. He made a mental note to attend this year's event.

While he found the period uniforms and displays interesting, the real appeal for him was being surrounded by and getting to talk with scores of fellow history enthusiasts, he said.

Mr. Smith traces his interest in the Revolutionary War back to the bicentennial celebrations of 1976, when he was a teenager.

"I've been fascinated with it ever since," he said.

Contact reporter Thomas Caywood at tcaywood@telegram.com or follow him on Twitter @ThomasCaywood